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Intelligent Business Machines?

Five universities and I.B.M Research have received a $4.9 million dollar grant from the government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for a long-term venture in cognitive computing. Cognitive computing is an engineering field that is just on the outer edge of artificial intelligence. Participants hope to engineer the mind by reverse engineering the brain, according to Dharmendra Modha-the leader of IBM’s cognitive computing program.

Computers have the capacity to excel at tasks where the domains they operate in are equipped with clear rules, such as chess. On the other hand, computers do not excel at problems with no clear rules,such as locating lost items. Can computers be given higher levels of cognition? Can computers perform sensation, perception, reasoning and learning if given clear rules on the matter?

Many argue that these are human emotions that cannot be implemented into a machine, or artificial intelligence. Others believe that pursuing cognitive computing will advance many industries and can be conquered by understanding the brain’s workings. Still others worry that the brain’s workings will prove to be far too complex to be modeled for science.

The well-funded research will hopefully further the path toward a higher level of internet functionality and a better understanding of how the mind works.Brought to you by Blue Interactive Agency, your Fort Lauderdale interactive marketing and web design firm.